THE COMMUNICATION

PROCESS:

PREWRITING,
WRITING,
AND REWRITING
Writing is easy. All you do is
stare at a blank sheet of
paper until drops of
blood form on your
forehead.
—GENE FOWLER
PREWRITING WRITING REWRITING
 PREWRITING WRITING REWRITING

• Organize your content

• Determine whether
using modes such as • Test for usability.
your audience is
problem/solution, • Revise your draft by
internal or external.
cause/effect, deleting wordiness
• Write to inform,
comparison, • Simplifying words
instruct, persuade, and
argument/persuasion,
build trust. • Enhancing the tone
analysis, chronology,
• Choose the correct • Reformatting your
etc.
communication
• Use figures and table text
channel for your
to clarify content. • Proofreading and
audience and purpose.
• Format the content for correcting errors
• Gather data.
ease access.
P ▪Examining purposes
R ▪Determining Goals
E
W ▪Considering Audience
R ▪Deciding what action your audience
I
want to perform
T
I ▪Determining the most effective
N channel
G
P EXAMINE PURPOSE
R
E ▪EXTERNAL MOTIVATION
W -someone else has asked you to
R communicate
I
T ▪INTERNAL MOTIVATION
I -you initiate the communication
N
G
P DETERMINE GOALS
R
E ▪TO PERSUADE
W -to change other’s opinions to accept
R your point of view
I
T
▪TO INSTRUCT
I -to provide instructions or to direct an
N action
G
P DETERMINE GOALS
R
E ▪TO INFORM
W
-to share information objectively
R
I ▪TO BUILD TRUST
T
-building rapport
I
N
G
P CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE
R
E ▪High-tech Peers
W
R ▪Low-tech Peers
I
T ▪Lay Readers
I
N
G
P GATHER YOUR DATA
R
E Answering the reporter’s
W questions
R Brainstorming or listing
I
T Outlining
I Creating organization charts
N
G Researching
 ANSWERING THE REPORTER’S QUESTIONS
WHO Paolo Santos, Sales Representative
WHAT Need to know what our discount is if we buy in quantities
Answering
• What the guarantees are
the reporter’s
• If service is provided on-site
questions by
• If the installers are certified and bonded
answering
• If San Miguel Corporation provides 24-hour shipping
who, what,
WHEN Need the information by September 23, 2022 to meet our proposal when, where,
deadline why, and how,
WHERE San Miguel Corporation you create
12345 Armor Boulevard the content of
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 54321 your report
paolosantos@sanmiguelcorporation.com
WHY As requested by my boss, Adam Rodriguez, to help us provide more
information to prospective customers
HOW Either communicate with a letter or an e-mail. I can write an e-mail inquiry
to save time, but I must request Paolo to respond in a letter with his
signature to verify the information he provides.
 BRAINSTORMING OR LISTING
• Before meetings, ask employees for agenda items (that way, they can feel
empowered)
• Consider flex-time
• Review employee benefits packages
• Hold yearly awards ceremony for best attendance, highest performance,
most cold calls, lowest customer complaints, etc.
• Offer employee sharing for unused personal days/sick leave days
• Roll over personal days to the next calendar year
• Include employees in decision-making process
• Add more personal days (as a tradeoff for anticipated lower employee raises)
(This can be done individually or in groups.) You can randomly suggest ideas (brainstorming)
and then make a list of these suggestions. This method is especially valuable for team
projects.
 OUTLINING
1.0 The Writing Process This traditional
1.1 Prewriting method of
• Planning Techniques
gathering and
1.2 Writing
• All-Purpose Organizational Template organizing
• Organizational Techniques information
1.3 Rewriting allows you to
break a topic into
2.0 Criteria for Effective Business Communication major and minor
2.1 Clarity
components. This
2.2 Conciseness
2.3 Completeness is a wonderful all-
2.4 Accuracy purpose planning
2.5 Accessibility tool.
 ORGANIZATION CHART
Home Page

Linked Page Linked Page Linked Page Job

Product Info Prices Opportunities

Computer Sales Administrative

Warranties Discounts
Technicians Representatives Assistants

This graphic allows you to see the overall

Technical
Specialists organization of a document as well as the
subdivisions to be discussed
P DETERMINE THE CHANNEL
R E-mails
E
Letters
W
R Memos
I Reports and Proposals
T
Brochures and fliers
I
N Oral presentations
G Videos
W ORGANIZATION
R SPATIAL
I -the use of spatial sequences helps the
readers envision what they see in space
T
CHRONOLOGY
I
-document time, steps in process
N analysis, or steps in an instruction
G
W ORGANIZATION
IMPORTANCE
R
-decide which ideas you want to
I emphasize
T -place the more important ideas above
I the less important ones
N COMPARISON/CONTRAST
G -compare similarities and differences
W ORGANIZATION
R PROBLEM/SOLUTION
I -emphasize the reader’s need (the
T problem) and how your product or
I service is the solution
N
G
 FORMATTING
W
-format your text to allow for ease of
R access
I -organize ideas by considering how the
T text looks on the page or screen
I -highlight key points and break up
N monotonous-looking text
G -ensure that your information is
accessible
R REVISION/EDITING TECHNIQUES
E ▪Add missing detail for clarity.
W ▪Simplify unnecessarily complex
R phrases and sentences to allow for
I easier understanding.
T ▪Move around information (cut and
I paste) to ensure that your most
N important ideas are emphasized.
G
R REVISION/EDITING
E
TECHNIQUES
W
▪Reformat (using highlighting techniques)
R to ensure reader-friendly ease of access.
I ▪Enhance the tone and style of the text.
T ▪Correct errors to ensure accurate
I grammar and content.
N
G
R PROOFREADING TECHNIQUES
E
W Spell check
R Grammar check
I Add/delete
T
I Move
N Enhance or reformat
G